UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the launch of an international prize of $1 million for finding sustainable solutions to water shortage all over the world through the use of solar energy to desalinate and purify water. His Highness also announced the establishment of UAE Water Aid Foundation with the aim of conducting research and studies to support the production of clean water using solar energy so as to provide new, cheap and innovative solutions for millions around the world who suffer from scarcity of water and polluted drinking water.

Sheikh Mohammed’s announcement came during his reception of key supporters and contributors to the UAE Water Aid campaign, at Za’beel Palace this evening.

During the meeting, His Highness announced a personal donation on behalf of all UAE citizens to add to the number of beneficiaries of UAE Water Aid campaign to hit 7 million persons around the world. The UAE Water Aid campaign has collected more than AED180 million in 18 days.

Sheikh Mohammed said that UAE Water Aid campaign is an aid of goodness and quenches the thirst of millions; we thank all those who supported it. He also thanked the work teams which started digging wells and providing fresh drinking water to millions around the world. He also thanked the UAE people for their immediate response and spirit of goodness they showed in adopting humanitarian and charity initiatives in every Ramdan.

His Highness added, " In the next phase, we will work on searching for durable and radical solutions to the problem of water scarcity using solar energy, which God blessed our planet with, in the process of purification and desalination of water in needy areas around the world; therefore, we invite all research institutions around the world to participate in a competition of $1 million to be awarded to people who can find sustainable, cheap and innovative solutions. Furthermore, the UAE Water Aid Foundation we have launched in this context will allocate its resources to conduct all year around to help provide clean water to hundreds of millions of needy people around the world using solar energy as well."

His Highness also announced a donation to provide water for a million people around the world on behalf of all the citizens of the UAE, asking God Almighty to accept our good deeds and inspire us all to do good and perpetuates His grace of stability, security and prosperity on the United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Mohammed went on to say: "Water is the spirit of life and providing it for the needy is reviving millions of people." He added: " UAE Water Aid Foundation will not differentiate between one person and another, so are all of our humanitarian works; such is the UAE humanitarian mission that lies in helping the afflicted, the needy and disadvantaged people all over the world without any distinction. "

The UAE Water Aid campaign launched by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has seen an unprecedented success in terms of drilling of hundreds of wells so far in many countries such as Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, northern Iraq, Syrian refugees camps in Erbil and in several African countries such as Niger, Togo and Ghana. Wells drilling will also include Egypt and Yemen over the next phase.

The UAE Red Crescent is working with the UAE embassies and local partners in beneficiary countries for completing the goals of the campaign during the coming stage to provide clean drinking water for 7 million humans around the world.

The announcement of the UAE Water Aid Foundation comes as an additional support by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's global efforts to provide water to hundreds of millions around the world, where the foundation will have legal personality and the capacity to exercise its business and its duties will be annexed to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority with the aim of providing clean and drinkable water to the needy and to conduct studies and research to support the efforts of water production through the use of solar energy, as well as contribute to the funding and support of projects of water technology to combat drought. Overseeing the $1 million annual prize allocated for the winners in the provision of research that would develop mechanisms and techniques of water production from solar energy is also among the foundation’s objectives.

It is worth mentioning that Sheikh Mohammed launched the UAE Water Aid Campaign on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, as one of the humanitarian and societal initiatives His Highness launches in the holy month every year. Sheikh Mohammed launched UAE Water Aid campaign to provide access to fresh drinking water for 5 million persons around the world in cooperation with the UAE Red Crescent and all key humanitarian and charitable associations in the UAE, with an effective participation of key private sector institutions and media outlets in the country.